1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a method and system for data processing and in particular to an improved method and system of user interface to a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an improved method and system for simultaneous operation of multiple display control devices, such as a pair of joysticks.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been great interest in providing Internet access at minimal economic cost. While most computers now are pre-configured for Internet access, a significant percentage of households still do not have a personal computer. Thus, it has now been proposed to provide a data processing system that, much like a VCR, may be connected to a television set and used in lieu of a personal computer to provide World Wide Web access through a conventional remote control device associated with the system unit. Such a system enables the television to become, in effect, a "Web" appliance. The viewer can rapidly switch between conventional television and Internet access using the remote control unit. All of the conventional "Internet" access tools and navigational functions are preferably "built-in" to the system and thus hidden to the user.
The remote control unit used to control the Web appliance is battery-powered and will typically include an infrared source, such as a light emitting diode (LED), which cooperates with a phototransistor in a receiver unit to effect the transfer of control signals for the appliance. An infrared control unit, however, is unsuitable for use in providing control of computer games, which use joysticks or glove control devices, because many of these games involve multiple players. Multiple infrared remote devices interfere with each other when used in the same physical environment. The infrared source also causes a significant power drain when used continuously, thus reducing battery life. As a result, it has been necessary to hard-wire the game control devices directly into the computer. Such wiring, however, is quite cumbersome and does not present an acceptable solution. This is especially true in the context of a Web appliance, where it is desired to reduce the complexity of the device as well as the machine interaction required by the user.